A FURTHER series of earth tremors were felt in Rochdale overnight, and another one shook the town this lunchtime (Tuesday).

A FURTHER series of earth tremors were felt in Rochdale overnight, and another one shook the town this lunchtime.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) confirmed there was a tremor measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale at 4.39am today (Tuesday) and another 15 minutes later measured 2.0. There were eight tremors in all, but six were too small to register, the BGS confirmed.

Another tremor was felt this lunchtime at 13.26, taking the total to 14 in the last two days.

It comes after Rochdale was hit by teeth-chattering tremors on Monday afternoon. Both rumbled through the town within seconds of each other at 12.45pm. The 'quake followed hot on the heels of a shock which measured 3.2 on the Richter scale and rocked Manchester city centre four hours earlier.

It also comes within a month of the biggest earth tremor to hit Britain for 10 years. It happened in Dudley in the West Midlands and measured 4.8 on the Richter scale. It shuddered across Britain in the early hours on Monday 23 September and sent a tremble through homes from Bamford to Belfield.

Ken Peden, of Rochdale Council's media unit, said the latest 'quake was definitely an earth-moving experience.

He said: "It was a strange sensation. I think everyone who was working on the higher floors at the municipal offices felt it. I had heard about the one in Manchester earlier this morning and it seems quite a coincidence that we should get another tremor so soon afterwards. Coupled with the one in Dudley, it seems Britain is becoming the earthquake capital of the world!"

Solicitor Richard Greenwood, who works at Octagon House, Yorkshire Street, said: "The building seemed to move around, one of the chairs moved and everything shook. The tremor was certainly very noticeable."

Station officer Terry Osborne, of Rochdale Fire Service, said: "We didn't receive any call-outs and there have been no reports of any damage caused by the tremor but we felt it rumble through the station."

Julian Bukits, a seismologist with the British Geological Survey, said: "It's quite normal to have a strong tremor followed by a number of smaller aftershocks. However, it's quite unusual to have further 'quakes stronger than the first ones, which is what has happened here. We've still got to measure the magnitude but there were reports of severe shaking."

He said tremors like this are fairly common in Britain and there is no evidence to suggest they are getting worse. He added: "It's probably just coincidental that it followed on three weeks after the one in Dudley.

"After an event like that people tend to get earthquake fever and the slightest tremor is reported to us. On average around three tremors measuring three on the Richter scale strike the UK every year. There is nothing to worry about."